Rib type casing centralizer



April 28, 1953 KLUK 2,636,564

RIB TYPE CASING CENTRALIZER Filed Feb. 1, 1952' Fig.2

/ m Q u Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATNT OFFICE RIB TYPE CASING CENTRALIZER Louis Kluck, Odessa, Tex.

Application February 1, 1952, Serial No. 269,441

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in casing centralizers and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a casing centralizer having novel and improved features over that disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 140,677, filed January 26, 1950.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a casing centralizer in cluding a plurality of circumferentially spaced leaf springs having central bowed portions that will yieldingly engage the wall of a hole to retain a casing centered within the hole.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a casing centralizer of the aforementioned character that is quickly and. readily applied about a casing to center the casing in a hole as the casing is permanently fixed in the hole by cement.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a rib type casing centralizer that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, inexpensive to manufacture and install, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a well hole and ShOWil'lg a casing centered within the hole by the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the present casing centralizer;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 33 of Figure 1; and,

Figure l is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3 i of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral it comprises a cage member including upper and lower identical ring elements l2 and :4 that are connected by hollow, substantially channel-shaped, reinforcing and strengthening rib It.

The ribs iii are spaced circumferentially about the ring elements and the upper and lower smoothly rounded, preferably convex, ends l8 of the ribs are fixed by welding to the outer peripheries of the ring elements.

The lower enos or a plurality of circumferentially spaced leaf springs all are fixed by welding to the outer periphery of the lower ring element I l and the upper ends of the springs 20 are slidably received in circumferentially spaced channel-shaped guides 22 that are welded to the outer periphery of the upper ring element I2. Each of the springs 26 is provided with a central bowed portion or concavo-convex portion 24 and these portions project radially outwardly beyond the ring elements.

The leaf springs 26 alternate with the ribs l6 so that the cage member ill will be uniformly strengthened. The ribs It will prevent the springs from breaking since they will restrict the amount of tension placed on the springs.

An abutment ring 24 is positioned on the casing 0 above the cage member H] which is slipped on the casing above a joint J. Nuts 26 are welded to diametrically opposites of the ring 24 and oppose apertures 28 in the ring 24. Set screws 30 are threaded through the nuts and extend radially inwardly of the ring 24 to bite against the casing C and prevent shifting of the ring 24 on the casing.

As the casing is lowered into a well hole H the hump portions 24 will engage the wall of the hole to center the casing within the hole. The ribs It will also center the casing within the hole. Then cement is poured in the hole about the casing to anchor the casing within the hole.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A casing centralizer comprising upper and lower ring elements, a plurality of circumferentially spaced hollow ribs terminally fixed to the outer peripheries of the ring elements and joining and strengthening the ring elements, a plurality of circumi'erentially spaced leaf springs having lower ends fixed to the outer periphery of the lower ring element and upper ends contacting the outer periphery of the upper ring element, said springs alternating with the ribs and having central bowed portions projecting outwardly beyond the ring elements, and a plurality of circumferentialiy spaced channel-shaped guides fixed to the outer periphery of the upper ring element and slidably receiving the upper ends of the springs.

LOUIS KLUCK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,898,074 Bailey Feb. 21, 1933 2,058,103 Phipps Oct. 20, 1936 2,228,648 Welles Jan. 14, 1941 2,313,178 Spang Mar. 9. 1943 2,388,416 Johnson Nov. 6, 1945 

